Methods and system for creating high conductivity fractures

Abstract

Methods for forming proppant pillars in a formation during formation fracturing include include periods of pumping a first fracturing fluid including a proppant and an aggregating composition including a reaction product of a phosphate compound or a plurality of phosphate and an amine, periods of pumping a second fracturing fluid excluding a proppant and an aggregating composition including a reaction product of a phosphate compound and periods of pumping a third fracturing fluid including an aggregating composition including a reaction product of a phosphate compound, where the pumping of the three fracturing fluids may be in any order and may involve continuous pumping, pulse pumping, or non-continuous pumping.

We claim: 
     
       1. A composition for forming proppants islands within a formation or zone thereof, where the composition comprises: a fracturing fluid containing from about 1 to about 8 lbs of a treated proppant per gal of the fracturing fluid, where the treated proppant comprises a proppant having a partial or complete coating of a zeta potential altering composition consisting of an amine-phosphate reaction product; an amine component selected from the group consisting of aniline and alkyl anilines or mixtures of alkyl anilines, pyridines and alkyl pyridines or mixtures of alkyl pyridines, pyrrole and alkyl pyrroles or mixtures of alkyl pyrroles, piperidine and alkyl piperidines or mixtures of alkyl piperidines, pyrrolidine and alkyl pyrrolidines or mixtures of alkyl pyrrolidines, imidazole and alkyl imidazole or mixtures of alkyl imidazole, pyrazine and alkyl pyrazine or mixture of alkyl pyrazine, acridine and alkyl acridine or mixture of alkyl acridine, pyrimidine and alkyl pyrimidine or mixture of alkyl pyrimidine, and quinazoline and alkyl quinazoline or mixture of alkyl quinazoline; or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       2. The proppant islands and composition of  claim 1 , further comprising: an untreated proppant, a non-erodible fiber, and an erodible material comprising erodible particles, erodible fibers, or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. A re-healable proppant island comprising: a composition for forming proppant islands as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the treated proppant is sufficient: (a) to allow formation of proppant islands in fractures formed in a formation or zone thereof during fracturing operations and to maintain the proppant islands substantially intact, if the proppant islands and/or particles within the proppant islands move within the formation during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations, or (b) to allow formation of proppant islands in fractures formed in a formation or zone thereof during fracturing operations, to allow the proppant islands to re-heal or break apart and reform during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations maintaining high fracture conductivity, and to capture formation fines during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations. 
     
     
       4. A self healing proppant island comprising: a composition for forming a proppant island as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the treated proppant is sufficient: (a) to allow formation of proppant islands in fractures formed in a formation or zone thereof and to allow the islands to break apart and reform without substantial loss in proppant during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations, or (b) to allow formation of proppant islands in fractures formed in a formation or zone thereof, to allow the islands to break apart and reform without substantial loss in proppant during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations, and to capture formation fines during and/or after fracturing operations, or during injection operations, or during production operations.